After a hail storm subsides, the first step is to determine if there has been any damage to your property – your home, business, rental properties, or any other buildings that you own. Usually, the damage will happen to the parts of the building that are the most exposed to hail, such as the roof or skylights. Windows and outside walls could also be damaged, especially if there were high winds during the storm, so you should check the perimeter of the building as well as the top.

Document the damage

After you’ve determined the extent of the damage to your property, take pictures of what you have found. You’ll need these pictures as evidence for when you file your insurance claim. If you have the chance during the storm, it can also be helpful to take video and photograph the size of the hailstones, since they can vary dramatically in different parts of a city during a storm.

Review the Insurance

Once you’ve compiled all of your evidence, it is time to take a look at your insurance. Most homeowner’s policies cover hail damage as an “act of God,” which means you were not expected to do anything to prevent it. Your insurance paperwork should detail how much coverage you have and if there is any other evidence you’ll need to gather before you file a hail damage claim. Once you’ve read your insurance carefully and have collected all of your evidence, get in touch with your agent.

Realize It Is a Business

Ideally, y our insurance will lead you through the process efficiently, and pay out the coverage that you are owed. However, insurance is a business, and keep in mind that their job is to make money for their employer, not to help you. That means that they might purposefully mislead you about the extent of your coverage, or about how filing a claim will impact your premiums. By educating yourself before you call, you can protect yourself and ensure you receive the coverage you’ve paid for.

A Hail Claim Is Simple but Getting Paid May Not Be

Usually, filing a hail claim will be simple, and you’ll be able to pay for repairs and get back to living your life or running your business. Sometimes, though, your insurance company will be difficult to deal with, and you’ll find yourself worrying about hail damage when you would rather focus on the myriad more important things in your life. If you’ve found yourself fighting with an insurer over your hail claim, it might be time to call a hail damage attorney.

Your hail damage lawyer is a person that you can trust to be on your side after a hailstorm. They’ll understand the intricate details of your insurance policy, and work on your behalf to get the insurance company to pay out for repairs. By hiring an attorney, you put yourself on an equal playing field with the insurance company, so they are not able to mislead and confuse you. The small extra cost of hiring a lawyer could save you thousands in wasted time and unreceived coverage.